Dispensing apparatus



May 24, 1949- c. M. ASBlLL,'JR 2,471,055

DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed-Feb. 14, 1945 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 J vsNToa. C LAnzuca M. Asa\\.\.,JR. B him-04;

v ATToaur-Y May 24, 1949.

C. M. ASBILL, JR

DISPENSING APPARATUS 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 14, 1945 May 24, 1949.

c. M. ASBlLL, JR

I DISPENSING APPARATUS 8 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 14; 1945 I INVENTOR- v CLAgENcE; M. ASBILL Jnz, mflm m mndg ATTORNEYS May 24, 1949. c. M. ASBILL, JR

DISPENSING APPARATUS 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Feb. 14, 1945 \NvEN'roR. aNcE. M. ASB\LL,JR..

CLA?

BYUNHI- zllow'm ATTORNEYS.

May 24, 1949. c. M. ASBILL, JR

DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 14, 1945 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN VENTOR. CLARENCE M. Asauu da.

BY=MM5M an/s I AT-ro NExs May 24, 1949. c. M. ASBILL, JR

DISPENSING APPARATUS a snets-sheet 6 Filed Feb. 14, 1945 luvnwroa CLARENCE M AsBm. JR.

: ATTORNEYS c. M. ASBILL, JR

DISPENSING APPARATUS May 24, 1949.

Filed Feb. 14, 1945 8 Shets-Sheet 7 as J..% I- m M m ww m ma w m: V! 5 ATTORNEYS C. M. ASBILL, JR DISPENSING APPARATUS May 24, 1949.

a Sheets-Shet 8 Filed Feb. 14, 1945 FIQJO A FIG. H

I NV su'ron. NCM. As ATTORNEYS mu Ja M CLA Patented May 24, 1949 DISPENSING APPARATUS Clarence M. Asbill, Jr., La Grange, Ga., assignor,

by mesne assignments, to Callaway Mills Company, La Grange, Ga., a corporation of Georgia Application February 14, 1945, Serial No. 577,800

12 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for dispensing a plurality of articles one by one, and is concerned more particularly with a novel dispensing apparatus serving also as a collecting means for articles, which may be of the same type as those dispensed or different. The new apparatus is especially adapted for dipensing and collecting articles, such as towels, and an embodiment of the invention for that use will be illustrated and described in detail for purposes of explanation. It will be readily apparent, however, that the utility of the invention is not limited to that specific application.

At the present time, towels are used in large numbers in various manufacturing plants and other places of business, and, if no supervision of the distribution and collection of such towels were provided, a large number would be lost. However, any check system that requires manpower is unsatisfactory not only because of its cost but also because of the undesirability of using labor for such a purpose.

The present invention is, accordingly, directed to the provision of a dispensing apparatus which serves both to distribute towels and also to provide the check system above mentioned, in that the apparatus cannot be operated to deliver a towel until another towel has been deposited therein. A person having a towel in his possession may, accordingly, not obtain a clean one from the machine, until he deposits the first towel therein, and this insures that used towels will be collected as the clean ones are dispensed.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of the exterior of the apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a front perspective view of the apparatus with parts of the cabinet removed and parts of the mechanism broken away;

Fig. 3 is a rear perspective view with parts of the cabinetremoved and parts of the mechanism broken away;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view through the apparatus;

Fig. 5 is a view in front elevation of a part of the apparatus on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 5a is a plan view of parts shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line 68 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a rear view of a door used in the apparatus;

Figs. 8 and 9 are sectional views on the lines 88 and 9-9, respectively, of Fig. 7;

Fig. 10 is a view in front elevation of a roll of towels used in the apparatus; and

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the roll of towels.

The new apparatus in the form illustrated comprises a cabinet generally designated which is made up of vertical and horizontal frame members 26a. and cross bars 20b. The cabinet is closed by panels 2i in the front, back, and top, and by removable panels or doors 22 at the sides, the doors being provided with locks 23 to prevent unauthorized access to the interior of the cabinet. In the front of the cabinet there is an inlet opening 24 near the top and an outlet opening 25 at a lower level. 21 lies outside the front of the cabinet, the shaft extending through an opening in one of the front panels to the interior of the cabinet.

A pair of cross bars 28 extends from front to rear of the frame structure of the machine and an upright bar 29 is mounted on one cross bar and a block 30 is mounted on the other. A roller 3i is mounted between bar 29 and block 30 on a shaft 32 supported for rotation in openings in the bar and block. The shaft projects through bar 29 and on its projecting end carries a pulley 33 and four spools 34. The pulley is fixed in position on the shaft, but the spools are held thereon frictionally. A belt 35 is trained about pulley 33 and passes around rotary guides 36 mounted on one end of a bar 33a (Figs. 2, 4), the other end of which is secured to one of a pair of upright panels 28', each of which is attached to a vertical face of one of the cross bars 28. From the guides 36, the belt passes around pulley 31 mounted on shaft 21. Shaft 21 is supported for rotation in bars 38 extending between upright and horizontal members of the framework. Upon rotation of shaft 21 by the crank 26, the pulley 33, roller 3i and spools 3 are rotated.

The towels are supplied to the machine in the form of a roll 39 in which the towels lie end to end between upper and lower control elements wound with the towels, and illustrated as pairs of upper and lower strands 40, M, respectively, a pair of strands lying near each end of the roll. The strands may be yarns, cords, wires, or the like, and they serve to hold the towels together so that they can be rolled up, and also as a means for directing a towel being dispensed on its way to the outlet. The roll of towels, wound on a paper tube 39a, is placed on a'metal arbor 42, and when the roll is in place in the machine, the ends of the arbor are received in vertical slots in the upright bar 29 and a bar 43, respectively. The

" bar 43, when in operative position, rests upon the A crank 2t mounted on a shaft,

top of block 30 and is attached to arms 44 hinged at 45 to a vertical member of the framework so that the bar can be swung away from bar 29 to facilitate the insertion of the roll of towels. The roll, when in place between bars 29 and 43, rests on top of roller 3| so as to be rotated thereby.

The pulley 33 is formed on one face with projectingfadi-alarinsfilig and a'ypkefl (Figs. 5, 6) carrying aroller 48 between its'erids is mounted pivotally on a cross bar 28 in such manner that the yoke may be swung to place roller 48' in position to be engaged by one or; theother of the arms 46. The yoke is connected by a link 59 to an arm fast on a shaft;52Tjoi rna1led1in blocks 53 mounted on the ff? mew. riff. A. spring:

54 encircles shaft 52 and is to the shaft, as by means of.afcotter, pin 52a. Atv

its other end, the spring bears against a shoulder.

53a (Fig. 5a) formed on one of the blocks'53'. The spring tends torotate the shaft so as to swing a'im'fi'l to cailseyok 41 to be rocked So that its roller 48 1ies beneath an arm ifi on the pulley" 33.

Shaft 52"is also provided with an arm 55 havingi'ah openi g at it's endthrou'gh which passes the li'ookedhd of a lijnk'56fi The link is connee-ted "at' it's lower end to a'n arin 51 fast on a shaft 58 journjalled 'at one e'ridi'n an upright frame member 20a and atjtheothenend in a vertical partition membefiillb mbunted to' extend between cifo's'sbars'fllb of thefrafmework. A spring 59 encircles 'shaft B-Eand is se e'ure'a thereto'at one endn anysuitable fhehne At-its other end, the spring bears "a'g n's't a block-59ii KFig. 5) attached journalle 'd "Thespring tefidstd rotate the shaft to"'s\vin'g"arm 5"? upwardly ah'dinove the link 56 so that its upper hooked endfis'out of contact with arm 5?. Shaft '58 is "provided with a plurality of arm? 5i? which prefect through the wall of a chute G l whicli"leadsfdownwardly from the' inlet" opening- 24 6f the'cabihetf and terminates just above openingi'n a 'rece te'eie 62 which rests eh bottom efes' bars of the framework.

Shaft 52 'is"'provi'de'd "with another arm 63 name members. Plate'i64fis"'cohnectedby a link wfthatmrahty of nr-fgers'mwhich extend across a passage "11* leading tethe outlet opening 25'.

extend through slots T3- in the plate and nor mally'engag'e thet'op's ofthe'lslots so as to limit the rocking "'of. shaft 68.3

door 74' is mounted in a slotin a cross bar 15.atw't'he'top ofth'ei'frl'ont of the cabinet and is urged'by a spring 7,6.to/a. position in which-it. shuts offlthe opening.24.. 'Ilhedoor can be latched,

in'position away fromopening 24 .by a spring member 'lI;attached.to the? framework'and hav-' ing a slot in its undersurface in which may be, received apin l8.mounted at onee'nd in a bracket. 1.! attachedrto the door, "and;at the other end in thedoor itselfs. Atleve'r. 80Zeis-fpivoted. on the framework. with its frlee endsllying beneath. the free endaofsp'rin'g member 11".: The lever is coninect'ed by a link. 81 .to a. lever? 82 pivoted in, an.

openingin -'the'upright'member.2& and lying with connected at one'end" tethe frame-member z'nzi "in' 'which shaft 58 is n to a position in which it closes the inlet opening 24.

W henthe door 14 is in position to close the inlet opening, it is held there by a lock consisting of ablock 83 'which'has an angularly out under surfac efand r es't's 'at one edge against the inner "surface of door"'14 'and also along one edge on thecross barin which the door is mounted. The bloek is formed with conical openings 84 through whieh extend pins 85 mounted in the cross bar. The location of the block 83 is such that, when the door 144s movedloy its spring to the e'nd 'of its path oftravel', there'ar endiof t'he doonpasses. beyondthe block, whereupon the block drops down so. thatits under surface liesflat. against the crossbar. Inthis position, 'a portion of the block lies to the rear of the back. edge of the door imposition toblockirturn. movement of the door. x I I I To place the machine in. operative condition, a roll of towels. islmou'ntd upon'. the. roller 31 with-the ends of-the. roll arbor". receivedin the slots in members B end 43". Thecords 40, 41, between which-the individual towels". 39al lie, are-1 then led forward from. the bottom. of the roll to pass. over .a roller: 86- supported. for rotatiom in the upright panels 28..previouslyldescribede The bottom cordsi 4] are then ledzdownwardly' to. pass through. slots 81in the plate .12 landethcnce around respective 'guide' rollers. 88lmounted. inl

earsI'l2- (Fig.4) s'truclsfrom jplateJ-ZU The cords,

; tends to ,rock. shaft 52 inlsuch .direction-that link.

50 swings yoke 41 toward the rim oflthe pulley, In orderthatlfthe machine. may be operated to dispense a towel, yoke 41 must be..moved.fo1:-. wardly to-free its'roller 48xfromarnr 4B,. andthis can beacco'mplished .by. the: insertion .ofia. towel through the inlet.opening-.24..' A towel so-in.- se'rtedzdrops .througmchutefil =and.strik es fingers 60 causingflthezfingers .to .movedown'. and..to rock. shaft 58 against the action of its spring 59'.- As. the. shaft. rdcksin .a..counterclockwise direction, as seen in Fig. 6, arm 51 swings downwardly,ande this. causeslinktifi eto engage and-swing, arma 55 on shaft 52 downwardly... Therockin uo S aft 52:; causesv a. pull. omlink. 50;. which swings .yoke 41:.tombve its-.rolle11.48 ffKOII'L beneathtarm. 46;.

As shaft 52 is rocked as above described,.- the". arm fletherenn. moves. up the edge of locking plate 64 until it passes the lower edge.of..the'. notch 64a therein. TheJocking platethemswings slightly to the left (Fighfixsotthat arm fia-rest-si.

in the'notch in the plate and the plate prevents movement of shaft 52 by its spring. When the towel inserted through the inlet opening has passed fingers 60, spring 59 restores shaft 58 to its original position, and this causes an upward movement of arm 51 and link 56. The link, however, slides freely through the opening in arm 55 on shaft 52, and shaft 52 remains in the position in which it is locked by engagement of arm 53 with notch Ma in the locking plate.

When yoke 4! has been moved to free its roller 48 from engagement with arm 46, the crank handle 26 may be rotated, and this causes pulley 33, spools 34, and roller 3| to be rotated. The towel roller 39 is turned in the unwinding direction, and a towel a. is advanced between cords 40, 4! over roller 86. At the top of the roller, cords 40 and 41 separate and the towel is released to drop down through the passage H. As the towel moves downward through the passage, it strikes the fingers 1D and causes them to swing downward. This movement of the fingers causes shaft 68 to be rocked against the action of its spring 69, and also causes arm 61 to pull down on link 86. This causes plate 64 to be swung, so that arm 63 on shaft 52 is released from the notch in the plate. Shaft 52 is then rocked by its spring 54, and this causes yoke 41 to be swung toward the rim of pulley 33 and to a position in which roller 48 in the yoke lies in the path of an arm 46 on the pulley. When the roller is in that position, .the pulley is held against further rotation.

When the towels in the roll have been completely dispensed, the engagement of the towel roll arbor 42 with lever 82 causes door 14 to be released to close the inlet opening 24. The machine is then inoperative until a new supply of towels has been placed in position. For this purpose, the door at one side of the cabinet is unlocked to aiford access to the interior of the cabinet. The arm 44 with vertical member 43 attached thereto is then swung outwardly, and the arbor of the roll that has been used up is removed and a new roll placed in position with one end of its arbor received in the slot in upright 29. Arm 44 is then swung back to cause the insertion of the other end of the towel arbor in the slot in member 43. When the towels in a roll have been completely dispensed, its cords remain threaded about the guide bars and through the guides on their way to their spools 34. Accordingly, when the new roll has been placed in position, its cords may be tied to the ends of the cords of the preceding roll, and it is not necessary to thread the new cords around the guide bars and through the guides.

From time to time, when spools 34 are full, it is necessary to remove the cords wound thereon. For this purpose, the spools, which are frictionally mounted on shaft 32, may be removed, the cords unwound, and the spools replaced, or the full spools may be replaced by a set of empty ones and the unwinding operation done at some other time.

The claims are:

1. A dispensing apparatus which comprises means for rotatably supporting a roll of towels, means for rotating the roll to dispense towels therefrom, means biased to lock the supporting means against rotation, means operable by a towel deposited thereon to put the locking means out of operation, means for holding the locking means inoperative, and means operable by a towel being dispensed for releasing the holding means.

2. A dispensing apparatus which comprises means for rotatably supporting a roll of towels, means for rotating the roll to dispense towels therefrom, means normally locking the supporting means against rotation, means operable by a towel deposited thereon to put the locking means out of operation, and means operable by a part of the roll of towels when the supply of towels is exhausted for cutting off access to the means operable by a towel deposited thereon.

A dispensing apparatus which comprises means for rotatably supporting a roll of towels,

means for rotating the roll to dispense towels therefrom, means biased to lock the supporting means against rotation, means operable by a towel deposited thereon to put the locking means out of operation, means for holding the locking means inoperative, means operable by a towel being dispensed for releasing the holding means and means operable by a part of the roll of towels when the supply of towels is exhausted for cutting ofi access to the means operable by a towel deposited thereon.

i. A dispensing apparatus for towels, which comprises a support for a roll of towels, means for rotating the support to dispense towels from the roll, means normally holding the support against rotation, a receptacle for soiled towels, a passage leading thereto, and means actuated by a soiled towel on its way through the passage and operating to put the holding means out of action.

5. A dispensing apparatus for towels, which comprises a support for a roll of towels, means for rotating the support to dispense towels from the roll, means biased to lock the supporting means against rotation, a receptacle for soiled towels, a passage leading thereto, means actuated by a soiled towel on its way through the passage and operating to put the locking means out of action, means for holding the locking means inoperative, a passage for discharge of the dispensed towel, and means in the discharge passage operable by a towel passing therethrough for releasing the holding means.

6. A dispensing apparatus for towels, which comprises a support for a roll of towels, means for rotating the support to dispense towels from the roll, means normally engaging a part of the rotating means to hold it against rotation of the support, a receptacle for soiled towels, a passage leading thereto, and means within the passage operable by a soiled towel on its way to the receptacle for freeing the holding means from the rotating means.

'7. A dispensing apparatus for towels, which comprises a support for a roll made up of towels lying between pairs of strands and wound therewith, means for rotating the support to dispense towels from the roll, means for taking up the strands as the roll is unwound, means normally locking the rotating means against operation, a passage into which soiled towels may be introduced, and means operated by a towel moving through the passage for releasing the locking means.

8. A dispensing apparatus for towels, which comprises a support for a roll made up of towels lying between pairs of strands and wound therewith, means for rotating the support to dispense towels from the roll, means for taking up the strands as the roll is unwound, means biased to lock the rotating means against operation, a passage into which soiled towels may be intro--v duced; means: operated; by. a: towel; moving". through the passage for rendering the locking means inoperative, means-for holdingthe locking meansiinoperative, andzmeanssoperated by a towel being dispensed for putting the -holding means out-- Of action.

9. A- dispensing apparatus; ion towels;- which comprises a support: for: a-roll' madeupofi towels lying between pairs of'strandsiand wound there'- with; means for rotating thesupport to -dispense towels from the roll,- means for taking up the strands as theroll is unwound; means: biasedto look the rotating means against operation, a passage-into which soiled towels may be intro-- duced; means operated by a; towel moving through the--passage-for rendering'the locking means inoperative, means for holding the locking means inoperative, means operated 'by atowel being dispensecl for putting the holding means out ofaction, and means operable by part of 'theroll when the supply of. towels therein is exhausted for shutting off access to the-passage.

109A- dispensing apparatusfor -towels, which comprises acabi-net having aninlet opening and an outlet opening, a supply of towels within the cabinet, a rotatable support within the cabinet for the towel supply, means operable iromoutside the cabinet for rotating the support to=discharge a-towel therefrom and advance it toward the outlet opening, means withinthe cabinet normally;-

holding-the support against rotation; a chute inside-the cabinet for. conductinga towel inserted through the-inlet opening to a place of deposit, andmeans within the'cabinet for'releasing the towelsu-pport-from-the holding--means, said rea leasing means including an actuating member operated-by atowel passing through the chute.

11; A" dispensing apparatus: for towels; which comprises a cabinet having an inlet opening and an outlet opening, a supply of'towels' within the cabinet, a rotatablesupport within the cabinet for: the towel supply, means operable from ,outside the cabinet for rotating the support to discharge atowel therefrom and advance it toward-the outlet opening, means within the cabinet biasedto lockthe support against rotation, a chute inside the cabinet for; conducting: a; towel: inserted through the. inlet openingto amlace; of; deposit; means: within the:cabinetzioivrenderingthe loohe ing: means: inoperative; said: renderinggmeans; ins cludi-ne an actuatinefimembenmovedcbiwaa towel passing;through .thezchute;\meanssforcholdingz the locking means: inoperative; a; passage: inside the cabinet for conducting; a: tOWfilu discharged from the roll: to; the outlet; opening; and! means;v imcludinganactuatinggmemben operatediby aitowel movingthrough the'passage; fmeputtingethe holdme: means out of action:v

1 2-; Anapparatusiforz-dispensingi; towels, which comprises;atrotatablevsupport forrarollzmade up oia towels lying between; pairs off strands; and woundztherewithiimeans fonmtating the: support to;dischargetowelssfromtheiroll; meanszoperated bYZSaidfIOtBJtiHg-J meansefon taking up strandszunewound from; the. roll; meanssbiasedcto lock; the rotating mean-s: againstoperation; means a'ctne atedaby a towel: deposited? thereon: for: rendering thelocking means inoperativeemeans for holding the locking means.inoperative;means for open:- axting the; rotating-,xmeans andzmeansoperatedrby aatowel discharged?from:,thez:rollifor pnttingithe holding-means; out of action;

CLLARENGEM; ASBILE, Jm

REFERENCES GIEDED."

The following referencesare of recordin' the fileof this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number- Name- Date 363,031 Westbrook; May-17,'1887 732,337 Clemons June-30,1903: 905:,401 Billmeyer" Dec. 1; 1908 927,656 Kainer July 13, 1909 130505594 Angell Jam 14; 1913 1;19.7",455:: Dickinson Septl- 5', 1916. 1:5510;909 Mills Jan. 26-;- 1926 1i570;99 3=i Gook: Jan. 26, 1926 1184.8;238 BihLet'aL' Mar.- 831932 2;028,7-88 Lane i Jan. 28,1936 23245j84 1: Weiss: i June 317', 1941 2344;715 Manner: 21;.1944i 

